Page 28 of Renegade Queen

I might have had a moment of doubt, but deep down, I knew I had enough magic to open this portal alone. I’d spent time recharging and never lost touch with the amount of magic in my system. This crossing should have been easier. It was almost like Nymeria was pushing back, like it didn’t want me to return.

And that made me panic more than anything in any of the realms could have.

Had I waited too long?

Should I have fought harder to stay?

Would Nymeria try to keep me out, or was this one of those unfounded fears that plagued my mind whenever I had to face the things I’d lost? When late at night, I found the courage in the darkness to think I could actually do what needed to be done, to fight the battle that constantly loomed over me. I knew I couldn’t avoid it forever.

Just then, the fifth stone reached the frequency it needed, and the magic hit the final one. I could feel the drain inside me, but I was at least holding out so far.

A cold sweat ran down my spine as the fear mingled with the strain of trying to open a gateway. But at the back of my mind, a faint glow of confidence grew inside me because we were nearly done, and if I could just hold on for a little longer, the portal would finally be open.

The circle around us sang the song my heart had yearned to hear for so long. A single tear ran down my cheek as I closed my eyes and leaned into the music as it sank into my soul.

It was the final push my body had been waiting for, and the magic soared inside me as what felt like the final wave rushed out of me, filling the circle as the stones reached perfect harmony.

The wind whipped up around us, rushing between the stones as it weaved through the waves of sound and a storm gathered. Purple flashes of light flared through the gathering sounds, striking each stone, adding almost an underline of percussion to the melody they sang.

“Beautiful,” Maddox murmured, bringing a smile to my face.

Nymeria might be a terrible place, it might be filled with creatures who would drain the blood from your body without a second thought, but it was also the most beautiful place I’d ever seen. It was a land filled with magic and mystery. A place where truly incredible things could happen. It hadn’t always been filled with blood and terror, and one day, it would be the same peaceful haven we’d all heard stories about as children. But most of all, it was my true home. The place my soul felt at rest.

And I was finally returning.

The wind started to calm, and as the storm cleared, a new landscape formed outside the stones that hadn’t been there before. Where there had been long grass surrounded by sparse fir trees now stood towering clusters of trees with creeping vines hanging between their branches. The canopy above us was so thick it was nearly impossible to see the sky; only the odd ray of light shone down between the leaves, telling us we’d at least arrived in the daytime as planned.

A smile started forming on my lips, and as Ryder turned toward me with a look of wonder on his face, I felt the urge to laugh in disbelief. That part of me that had started to doubt if I could actually do this had apparently held on for longer than I thought it would.

But before I could say anything, it was like a bolt of lightning struck me in the chest; the pain was so sudden and vast that it flared through my body, and my eyes rolled back as my knees gave way beneath me.

I felt myself falling, only to be caught in strong arms before I could hit the floor.

My mouth hung open as my body screamed at me to take a breath, but my lungs failed to cooperate. Darkness clawed at the edge of my mind as panic started to take hold. I was convinced this was it; this was Nymeria proving that I wasn’t welcome in this place, but instead of the rush of life leaving my body, I felt a searing heat flood through my veins.

“Breathe, Alyssa. Breathe,” Ryder pleaded.

I looked up to find him staring down at me and realised it was his arms I was being held in.

The ring of steel filled the air, and I watched as the others all drew their swords simultaneously and moved to form a loose circle around us. They almost looked like they knew what they were doing, and if I hadn’t been fighting to stay conscious, I could have laughed.

I’d always thought I was strong before all this began. I knew I held more inside than most who lived in Nymeria. It had been something I’d been taught to hide since I was a child. It was why I’d held onto a higher level of magic than most in the human world. Because I already had more to begin with. But this feeling of magic rushing inside me was nothing like before. It was like an ocean of possibilities, filling every cell in my body. When I finally drew in that one glorious breath that pushed the darkness aside, every single part of my body sighed in relief. Like it had been starved for years, and I hadn’t even noticed.

My throat burned like it was on fire, and I coughed as a groan left my body unbidden.

“Fuuuuuuuuck,” I gasped.

“What’s happening? Are you okay? Are you going to pass out? What can I do? Where are we? Where’s the safest place we can take you?” Ryder rushed out, surprising me.

My shaky hand came up, and I gently stroked his cheek. The panic in his eyes was actually making me feel kind of happy, but it didn’t seem like something I should really acknowledge.

“I’m okay. I just need a minute,” I reassured him. “I didn’t realise my connection with Nymeria would be stronger when I got here, and the surge of power took me by surprise,” I explained.

I should have realised this would happen, and now we were here, and I was in a crumpled mess on the ground; I was feeling pretty embarrassed about it.

But as Ryder’s sigh of relief rushed out of him, he had no time to chastise me. Because at that moment, an eerie voice filled the air.

“You were never supposed to come back here, stupid girl,” it hissed.